Wicked Means
by rhig122
Summary: In a world where angering the wrong people can land you in the gallows, four young adults must choose between right and wrong and fight for survival in a world where witch craft is the highest sin. It is hard to claim you're innocent when everything around you says otherwise. AU for all characters involved
1. Prologue

I know, I know! Just what I needed...another story to work on! To much going on in my head and I just have to get it all out somehow, so enjoy the historical oddness that is about to ensue in this crossover.

Let me know what you think, as I really am torn on this whole idea.

 **Disclaimer : I do not own Percy Jackson, Harry Potter or any of the content published from Rick Riordan & JK Rowling.**

* * *

 **Prologue**

I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth together, trying to fight back the tears that were threatening to fall.

The air around me was still but cold, stinging my cheeks and nose and tinting them red.

I looked up to see his eyes boring into me.

I struggled to figure out what went wrong. The situation at hand made no sense to my brain and all I could do was drop my head in shame. I didn't want him to see me like this but there was no way around that anyway. The entire town was required to watch punishments.

I felt a nudge at my side and I looked to my left to see her sad face staring at me. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and I knew she felt the same as I.

She held her hand out at her side and I quickly wrapped mine around hers. She smiled slightly and mouthed 'I'm sorry.'

I shook my head and the tears finally began to fall.

I wasn't prepared to die.

I wasn't going to let my best friend die either but there was nothing I could do.

The rope around my neck itched and I wanted to claw at it and rip it away but I knew that if I did, I would be shot on the spot. I knew I had no chance in hell at surviving this and because of that, we were both slated to die in mere moments.

I allowed my mind to wander, visions of my father carrying me around through the fields filled my mind.

I remembered how warm the sun was on my face and how strong his arms were around my tiny body. I was only four, but the memory was strong and sweet and forced the tears to spill out of my eyes even faster.

The memory morphed and I was sitting with my mother by hearth. She was teaching me how to properly make the rabbit stew for the tenth time.

Her laugh was gentle as I accidently splashed some of the stew out of the cauldron and into the fire. I looked up and smiled at her and she hugged me, gently moving a stray curl out of my face.

The memory changed once again and I was standing next to my father's grave. I wanted to cry. I remember trying to cry the day of his funeral but I couldn't. The tears would never come.

And then suddenly I was pulled back to reality by sounds in front of me.

The crowd.

The crowd was getting angry and I knew it was coming any moment.

I heard the crowd yell as the executioner placed his hands on the handle holding our fate.

I looked up at the sky and cried, "Lord, save us!"

"Confess and save yourself," Someone from the crowd was screaming at me.

"Never! I did nothing wrong! I will not confess to sins I did not commit," I cried to anyone who would listen within the crowd.

And then it happened.

A swift movement of the handle and the floor dropped out from under us, and then there was nothing.


	2. Chapter One

**kuro sora wa** \- Muchas gracias. Espero que se pueden leer más de esta historia a medida que avanza. También siento si mi traducción es terrible. Ha sido un largo tiempo desde que he hablado en español! Espero más de tus pensamientos en la historia.

So, I had this chapter ready, decided to go ahead and get it up as well. I hope to be able to update at least once a week but with the holidays rolling in it might not be that easy. Let me know what you think by leaving reviews or PMing me!

 **Disclaimer : I do not own Percy Jackson, Harry Potter or any of the content published from Rick Riordan & JK Rowling.**

* * *

 **Chapter One**

I ran across the field, my bag bouncing on my back.

The air was crisp but the sun warm and it was a wonderful combination. Perfect for lying by the edge of the pond on our property and reading, as long as it was the Bible anyway. The only book that I was allowed to read seeing as how I am a woman.

There was a time when my father would sneak books for me and I would place them inside the Bible so no one could actually see what I was reading. This technique worked for a little while, until my mother caught me reading 'Utopia'.

My father and I received a pretty stern punishment from my mother that day.

I was told it was wrong to be a free thinker, that my father was going to get me jailed, or worse, the gallows.

I shook the memory as I stopped and watched the water ripple in front of me.

Fish. We had fish surfacing again. I would have to come back tomorrow and pray that I was able to catch something this time.

I desperately wanted to sit by the water's edge, dip my toes in and relax, but I didn't have time.

For the first time in months, my mother and I were going to have meat with dinner.

My father had been teaching me how to set snares and hunt when he passed away suddenly, leaving my mother and I to tend to the land and home on our own.

Usually this meant that we would have been forced out of our home or forced to live with some man who was in need of a wife but we were lucky. We were allowed to stay and without a stranger invading our space because my mother is the only midwife and nurse in the Ipswich area.

The fact that we were allowed to stay was the only luxury afforded to us though.

This meant that we were completely on our own with the fields, the animals and anything else we needed.

I thanked God daily for everything my father taught me.

I spent my days working in our fields, gathering what little crops we were able to yield, and bartering for things we needed. Flour, sugar and salt were always high on our needs list.

Winter would be settling across the land soon and we needed new pelts or we could possibly freeze to death in our own home.

I didn't want to think about that right now. I had too much to do right now that pelts could be pushed back a fortnight.

I finally pulled myself away from the water's edge and continued running back toward my home.

I came barreling through the back entrance to find my mother pulling bread from the hearth. I watched as she jumped slightly and almost dropped the loaf into the fire.

"Annabeth, that is not necessary! A woman shouldn't run like that either. You are going to get yourself into trouble with the town elders."

I bent over and placed my hands on my knees and tried to catch my breath. "But . . . but . . ." I couldn't breathe. It had been months since I had run anywhere on the homestead and I had really been doing myself a disservice.

"But what dear?" She busied herself cutting the bread and offered me a slice.

I put a hand up and shook my head at the offer. I needed water not a slice of bread at the moment even though my stomach was rumbling at the smell and sight.

I sucked in a deep breath and stood up straight. I looked her dead in the eyes and dropped my bag on to the table.

I watched as she slowly opened the bag, afraid that something might jump out at her, and that sadly wouldn't be the first time that would have happened. She cautiously peered into the leather bag and I started to smile as her gray orbs grew to twice their normal size.

"You did this on your own?"

I smiled widely and nodded. "I finally figured out the snares that father was teaching me."

My mother quickly pulled the two small rabbits out of the bag and took them to the chopping block. I watched as she made quick work of the animals, skinning and gutting to perfection.

"Get the cauldron ready for me. I have carrots, onions and a few potatoes left in the bin."

I bounded across the kitchen and pulled out the few roots we had left in our stock and started peeling and cutting, dropping my portion into the cauldron with some water and a little salt.

My mother set the small pelts aside and looked over at me, "Clean those two up, they ought to get us a little more flour and corn at the trade."

I nodded and took the pelts outside so that I could see what I was doing in better light. The cleaner they are the more you can get for fur, even something as small as a rabbit hide.

I was sitting by the back door at my father's cleaning station, soaking in the sun as I scrubbed dirt out of the fur; I was well into the second pelt when the air around me suddenly cooled and my light dimmed.

I looked up to see a raven haired boy smiling down at me.

"What do you want," I asked dryly, and then looked back down at the pelt.

"To see if you needed any help today."

I lifted my head slightly and blew a stray curl out of my face. "No, I don't think so." I smiled sweetly at him.

"Why do you torture me so, Annabeth?" He sat down next to me and picked up the first pelt, looking it over carefully.

"Because you make it easy Perseus," I deadpanned.

He nudged my arm with his elbow and I turned and shoved him back.

"Young ladies don't go around shoving young men Annabeth."

My mother had a knack for appearing out of nowhere and this was one of those times. I was never really allowed to be alone with Percy and she always seemed to know when he was here. And here she was, coming out of the back door of our house, wiping her hands on her apron, glaring at me like I had something to do with Percy's sudden appearance.

"Yes ma'am," I blushed lightly as I answered her.

"Percy, I could use your help today."

"Yes Mrs. Chase, what do you need?"

He was always so over eager when my mother asked for help. It was disgusting and sweet all at the same time.

"We are almost out of fire wood and despite what Annabeth thinks, she is just not that good at chopping wood. Could I talk you into getting us some?"

My mother smiled sweetly at the boy and he simply nodded back. No wonder my father would heed her every beckon call. She could get whatever she wanted out of anyone with just a look. It was rather annoying now that I was thinking about it.

"You two are lucky. I have a large amount already chopped. I had to hide it from my father but I managed to set aside enough for at least a month."

"You're an angel Perseus Jackson," I sing songed to him and I watched as he blushed a deep shade of red.

"Well since the wood is taken care of, can I get the two of you to gather the crops that are ready? We should have some onions, beets and carrots. If there is anything else, please bring it in as well." She flashed us a smile and we nodded at her. Again, she suckered us in with just a simple look.

I stood up and took the pelt from Percy and added it with the one I had just finished cleaning and walked to the barn with Percy in tow.

"That was sweet of you to chop extra wood for us," I said quietly as he fell in step next to me.

"I knew that you would be needing it shortly. I saw the wood pile when I was over here last week and it really was pathetic." He flashed me a goofy smile and I nudged him with my elbow again.

I don't know why I always get so nervous around him. It wasn't like he was banging the door down for courtship. Not that his parents would ever let him entertain that thought anyway.

I shook my head and stepped into the barn and placed my pelts in my basket by the door.

I could feel Percy staring at me as I pulled my cloak off and draped it over the corral stall door.

"What?" I didn't bother looking at him.

There was a tense silence between the two of us and finally he answered, "Nothing. I was just thinking about things."

I picked up two large empty baskets and handed one over to him. My hand brushed his and sent a tingle up my arm.

 _'Not again.'_

"What about?" I tried to be nonchalant in my response but I could hear the nervousness in my voice as the question came out.

He smiled at me, a light blush graced his cheeks, his sea green eyes were looking me over and he responded, "Nothing. Nothing important anyway." He turned away from me and started out the barn toward our crop fields. "Come on, let's get this over with."

I sighed behind him and begrudgingly followed.

I knew he wasn't thinking about me but a girl could dream right?

We spent several hours out in the field gathering what crops we could and when we finally decided to take a break, both of us covered in sweat and dirt.

We silently started hauling our baskets back to the barn when we were interrupted by my mother.

"Annabeth," She yelled at me from atop a horse halfway across the field. "Annabeth, we have to go! Rachel Dare is in labor and I need your help!"

I grunted under my breath and dropped my basket at my feet and took off at a run toward the barn.

I could hear my mother yelling orders at Percy to get the baskets into the barn and we would deal with them when we got back but in all honesty, I wasn't paying much attention. My only goal was to get to the barn and get to Whisper.

Once I hit the entry way I realized that I was utterly disgusting and covered in dirt. I tried to knock as much of it off as I could and then quickly dipped my hands in the barrel of water I kept for occasions like this. I scrubbed my hands and rinsed my face as fast as possible before drying off on my cloak as I tried to throw it on at the same time.

I ran up to Whisper's stall and made quick work of getting the saddle on my gray.

I was just about to hoist myself on to her back when I felt a pair of hands on my waist, helping to lift me on to the horses back.

I smiled down at Percy, "Thank you, but you know I could have done that on my own."

"I know," He replied sheepishly as his cheeks were tinged with a light red.

"If I don't see you in town this evening I will see you tomorrow around lunch. Okay?"

He simply nodded and moved out of my way as I guided the gray out of her stall.

I turned back to look at him one more time, wondering what it was he was thinking about as I caught him staring at me.

"Thank you for the help today Perseus," I called as I spurred Whisper and we took off out of the barn and into the open field.

I heard a faint ' _You're welcome_ ,' in the distance and I quickly blocked everything out as I concentrated on getting to the Dare property without getting myself killed.

As I rounded the gate and hit the dirt road, I saw Percy watching me intently and the butterflies in my stomach went wild.

There was no way he was thinking about me the way I often found myself thinking about him.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts and leaned forward over Whisper's neck and forced her along at top speed, dodging townsfolk along my way.

By the lack of looks I was receiving from everyone I passed, I knew that my mother had passed by not to long before I made my way through and they knew to expect me to be not far behind.

It felt like forever before I made it to the Dare's property and I shivered as I coaxed my gray to a stop just short of my mother's paint.

I quickly pulled an apple from the side bag of my mother's saddle and handed it over to Whisper, thanking her for a safe trip before heading to the house.

A loud scream ripped through the air and I lifted my dress and took off at a run, not even bothering to knock or introduce myself to anyone in the front room of the house.

I followed the screams up the stairs to a small room and was frightened by the sight in front of me.

I had assisted my mother in many births but this one felt different.

Something was off.

Wrong even.

I sucked in a deep breath and asked my mother, "What do you need me to do?"

"Hot water and rags dear. I need a lot of rags."

"Yes ma'am," I replied with a shaky voice and turned to leave the room.

"Hermione, help her find everything, would you please?"

I had been to the Dare's before. In fact, I had been there at the beginning of summer to help set her father's broken leg when he was thrown from his horse, and then again when her brother injured himself chopping wood not long after, so I knew where everything was.

The fact was the Dares were having a lot of problems lately, from Rachel sneaking around with a much older, very married man to several injuries on the farmstead, and while I tried to keep my distance, we found ourselves at their home more often than not.

It was a little unsettling to say the least and one could almost say that the troubles started when her cousin Hermione Granger showed up in Ipswich.

The truth was, I didn't want Hermione's help. I would have rather it been anyone but her.

The girl was sweet but there was something about her, an air of mystery that kept everyone at bay, and for good reason, it was a bit disconcerting.

Another scream ripped through the air as Hermione handed me an armful of rags out of a small closet on the first floor.

"Please tell me there is water boiling over the hearth," I questioned her quietly.

She simply nodded and took the small cauldron from me and filled it before following behind me again back up the stairs.

She set the water down next to my mother and I sat on the other side, handing her rags as she asked for them.

After a few moments I realized there were too many people in the room.

I recognized Rachel's mother and of course her cousin Hermione, but who were these other women. I shuddered as the one with raven hair and eyes almost as dark stared at me intently.

Worry and dread filled my body and I tried to shake it off but her stare was setting me on edge.

"Rachel, dear, I need you to push now."

I looked over the top of the blanket that was draped over her legs and I could see the fear in her eyes.

"You'll be fine. Just do as my mother says and everything will be okay," I whispered to her. I was trying to encourage her, as my mother always said that helped most in any situation.

My mother simply nodded and gave her a weak smile as she went back to concentrating on what she was doing.

Rachel let out another scream and I wanted to cover my ears as the scream seemed to morph into an ethereal growl.

I noticed my mother wince and then she moved forward and I followed her lead.

"Something isn't right here Annabeth. Whatever happens, I need you to keep a straight face and don't show any reactions, got it?"

"Yes ma'am." My voice was barely above a whisper as I answered her.

I sat up again and handed her another rag and the energy in the room changed as Rachel screamed again.

A cold breeze filled the room as the baby was born and it took everything I had in me not to react to what I was looking at in my mother's hands.


	3. Chapter Two

Sorry so slow. The holidays have popped up too fast this year and coupled with work, class and kids I just wasn't able to get back to writing like I wanted to! Now that my busy season is almost over and the Christmas hols are almost here, I should have loads more time! Let me know what you think!

 **PunksNotDeadYouAre** : Thanks so much! Again, sorry it took so long! And FYI, everything is going to come from Annabeth's POV. It shouldn't be to hard to decipher who is saying what from here on out as she will give clues as to who is speaking to her. I hope you enjoy this next update!

 **Disclaimer : I do not own Percy Jackson, Harry Potter or any of the content published from Rick Riordan & JK Rowling.**

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

It took every last ounce of my will power not to scream.

I had never seen anything like it in my life.

The poor child, if it could even be called as such, was frightening.

I knew that Rachel was early and not due to have the baby for another month and half at least.

The premature child in my hands though, looked nothing like a premature child I had ever seen before.

"Well, what is it?"

I looked up at the raven haired woman who spoke and I resisted from opening my mouth and saying ' _I don't have the slightest clue what it is!_ '

"Annabeth, come here, I need your help."

I moved closer to my mother and waited for her instructions.

"Hold your hands out flat please."

I did as she asked me and shivered as she placed the tiny body in my hands.

I watched as she took a clean rag and dipped it in warm water and started to gently clean off the newborn's withered skin.

It was skinny, and almost reddish in appearance, but the thing that got me the most was the face. Its eyes were bigger than I had seen on a newborn and there was a gaping hole under its nose and through the top lip.

I watched as my mother gently rubbed circles over the body, trying to coax the baby into breathing.

" _Well_ , is anyone going to answer me," The raven haired woman screamed at me and my mother.

My mother looked up for only a moment and glared at the woman before looking back down at the newborn.

"It is a boy and he is not doing well at the moment. Please let me work," She spat back at the woman and I watched as she cowered back only slightly.

After several minutes of rubbing circles on the baby's chest, he finally took in a shaky breath.

"Come on, come on baby, breathe for me!"

My mother was talking to herself as she worked, which I knew was a bad sign. Only when things were going wrong did she ever talk to herself.

After several more moments of her rubbing circles on his chest and abdomen did he start to stir.

I watched as he took large gasping breaths and a finally he let out a shrill cry and my mother quickly pulled him out of my hands.

"Push on her belly and help the placenta out while I try to prepare them for what they are about to see."

I nodded and stood up and moved to Rachel.

"This might hurt a little bit, but it has to be done, okay Rachel?"

The red headed girl just looked up at me sadly and nodded her head.

I began kneading on her lower abdomen and she cried out in pain.

I watched as my mother moved over to Rachel with the baby and she turned her head away.

"I don't want to see him."

My mother shook her head and moved to Rachel's mother. "Here is your grandson. I honestly don't know what is wrong with him as I have never seen anything like this before."

I watched as Mrs. Dare backed away from my mother and practically tripped over Hermione, trying to get away from the newborn.

"Oh my God, Rachel, your sins . . ."

The raven haired woman walked over and took the whimpering child from my mother and looked down at him with a wicked grin.

"Not perfect, but he will do."

I shuddered at her comment, as did my mother and she turned over to me, "Clean up. I will take over. Take Hermione with you and go back to the farm. We will escort her back tomorrow."

I wanted to argue about taking Hermione with me but I could see the look on her face and I knew I shouldn't mess with her at this moment, so I did exactly as I was told.

I grabbed a clean rag, dipped it in the cauldron and wiped my hands off as quickly as possible. When I was finished, I looked up to see that Hermione was missing from the room.

"I will see you back at home mother. Be safe."

"Annabeth, have Hermione ride Star back. I will have Goodman Dare take me back home. You two be careful, it will be dark soon."

"Yes ma'am." I tried to be nonchalant about the situation at hand, but it was really hard. The raven haired woman was just staring at me it unnerved me greatly.

I moved from the room only to run into Hermione in the hallway.

"Sorry. I was just coming to look for you."

Hermione grabbed my hand and quickly led me down the stairs without saying a word, her small leather bag slamming into my gut as we moved.

I untied my mother's horse from the tree and quickly helped Hermione up on its back.

I wanted to ask her what on Earth was going on and I opened my mouth to speak but she silenced me with a single glare.

I quickly mounted Whisper and led the way back to my homestead, Hermione on my tail as we pushed the horses to their limits.

I only slowed when our homestead was in sight in the setting sun, letting out a sigh of relief until I remembered that Hermione Granger was behind me.

I slowed to a trot and groaned under my breath as Hermione trotted up next to me on Star.

"I need to speak with you, but not out in the open. I don't know who could be listening."

Her voice was barely above a whisper but I heard every word she uttered and I shuddered at the thought.

"Follow me."

I rounded the fence to our property and followed the beaten path to our barn. I stopped just at the door and hopped off of Whisper, Hermione mimicking my movements and dismounting Star.

I grabbed the reigns from her and led the horses to their stalls.

"This will go faster if you help. Do you know how to remove the saddle?"

She simply nodded at me and walked into Star's stall and got to work as I worked on Whisper. Nearly ten minutes later we were both finished and I was leading her up into the loft of the barn.

"Okay, talk."

"Are you sure no one is here?" Her voice waivered and I could see the fear in her eyes.

"Positive. It is just me and my mother here, my father died several months ago." There was a pregnant pause between us and I continued, "So, what is so important Miss Granger?"

I watched her carefully, trying to decipher what it was in her eyes she was showing me and I decided that it would probably be best to drop the rough exterior I was showing her.

I moved over to the stack of hay I often used as a makeshift bed and sat down. I lightly patted the spot next to me and she looked over her shoulder several times before sighing and moving to the spot.

The small girl sat down heavily next to me and I could see tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

"Things are going to get ugly around here."

"What do you mean?" I turned so that I was facing her. I wanted to see if she was lying to me.

"My aunt I came here with . . ."

"The creepy woman that took the baby," I interjected.

"Yes. She is planning something horrible."

I could tell she wanted to say more but at the same time she seemed terrified to say anything else.

"What exactly?"

She put her head in her hands and leaned forward, her bushy brown hair cascading around her face, hiding her from view.

"She has been making deals with the devil Annabeth. She heard about Rachel's sins and we had to come. She needs the baby."

My interest was piqued and I couldn't help but wonder if she was losing her mind.

"Have you heard of the witch trials going on in Salem? You have to have heard about them. Goody Tubman was taken back to Salem after running here to keep from being hanged."

I simply nodded and waited for her to continue.

Hermione sighed again next to me and then sat up all of the way. Her dark brown eyes were wide and full of tears just waiting to break through the dams.

"They aren't lying Annabeth. They truly believe they are doing the devil's work and depending on what you believe, some of them are. Some of them are sacrificing animals and even newborns to a demon that may or may not be talking to them."

"So are you saying that your aunt wants to sacrifice Rachel's baby?"

"I don't know for sure. I just know that she needs him."

I had so many questions I wanted to ask her but my brain was spinning as I tried to process all of this new information.

"I know you probably you think that I am crazy."

The tears finally broke free of the dams holding them back and I watched as they flooded her pink cheeks.

"How long have you known about the things your aunt has been doing?"

"Ever since I moved in with her when I was ten."

"Why didn't you ever tell anyone?" I couldn't fathom knowing such horrible things about someone and not telling anyone what I knew. But then again, I was on the straight and narrow. The good little girl that always did what she was told, no matter what.

She let out a sob and flopped back against the hay. "Because she has information that would have me hanged in a heartbeat."

"Information? Hanged? What are you talking about?" I was truly confused now and stood up quickly, my dress catching some of the hay and causing it to fly toward Hermione's face. I spun around to see her flick her hand effortlessly and the stray pieces flew back to where they came from.

My jaw dropped to the ground and she sat up quickly, moving toward me. I backed away from her, "Witch," I whispered frantically at her.

"Annabeth, stop! Let me explain!"

She was a sobbing mess as she tried to make her way to me, but I kept dodging her movements, making a large circle around the loft.

I shook my head violently.

"Annabeth, please!" She pleaded with me over and over again as the tears continued to flow.

"No Hermione! Just being in your presence can get me thrown in jail and possibly hanged with you!"

My heart was racing and the goody two shoes part of me wanted to run to town and tell the town elders everything that had happened today but there was something stopping me. Maybe it was her tears, or maybe it was the utter fear that was plastered across the girl's face, or maybe it was a combination of the two but against my better judgement, I remained in my spot.

"Please just hear me out."

"Why should I?" I didn't want to be mean to the girl but at the same time, I didn't want to die for her sins.

"Because I need help."

I looked at her incredulously and replied, "That much is true."

"Stop Annabeth. Just stop. I am here begging for your help."

I noticed her tears were beginning to slow and that anger was slowly creeping into her current mood.

"Why me?"

"Because I know I can trust you."

"How can you possibly know that about me?"

"Because it is written all over you Annabeth. I need help, now are you going to hear me out and help me or do I need to go, but I warn you if I go, my aunt will find and most likely kill me. I am not ready to die Annabeth."

I sighed heavily and tried to calm my panicked heart. What was I to do? It's not like I could just send her to her death. That just wasn't my nature but at the same time, what if she was playing me and I ended up dead.

That annoying little voice in my head suddenly spoke up and I dropped my head in defeat.

"You have a lot of explaining to do and you had better start before my mother gets home."

Hermione sniffled and then plopped back down on the hay, patting the spot next to her just as I had done for her. I instead shook my head and remained against the loft railing. Part of me wanted to be away from her and the other part of me was keeping watch for my mother.

"I'm not sure where to begin," She quietly replied to my lack of movements.

I looked over the railing and then back at her and calmly replied, "How about you tell me about . . . whatever it is you did with the hay? How long have you been dabbling in witchcraft?"

"I don't dabble."

I looked at her, shock plastered all over my face.

"No, no! I don't practice witchcraft. I don't belong to a coven and I sure don't partake in any ceremonies unless my aunt has a knife to my throat. My will to live is far stronger than the urge to die despite some of the things she has forced me to do."

I watched as her cheeks flushed in embarrassment at the memories that I was positive were flooding her mind.

"Then how were you able to . . . you know . . . do that with the hay?" I took a step toward her and wondered if I was truly safe in her presence.

"I don't know. I have always been able to do things, ever since I was little. We have never stayed in one colony for too terribly long as my parents were always afraid someone would find out and they would take me away from them or worse, kill me on the spot."

I moved closer to her, curious now about her abilities, still unsure whether she was being completely truthful with me.

"What exactly is it that you can do?"

She shrugged at me and moved her right hand slightly and I watched as the hay around her rose in the air. She made a small circle with her finger and the hay began to spin around me. She dropped her hand back to her side and the straw pieces instantly fell around me.

"So, you can move things . . . is that all?" I was cautious as I moved back to the hay bed and sat down next to her.

"No."

I prodded her brown eyes with my gray and leaned forward slightly, urging her to continue.

"In one of the townships we lived in, I stumbled across a boy who was like me. He got his abilities from both of his parents. They were teaching me how to harness and control mine as I could make the most random things happen whenever I was upset or excited. They also taught me that I could do more with a wand. I don't fully understand how it works but we draw power from the piece of wood and we can use incantations to make things . . ."

I cut her off quickly by slamming a hand across her mouth and I listened for the noise I heard only moments before.

There it was again, a rustling noise at the entrance to the barn. I put a finger to my lips as I slowly pulled my hand away from her mouth and silently stood and made my way to the loft railing. I craned my neck to see if I could spot any shadows making their way into the barn but instead we were greeted by a voice that made the both of us freeze in our spots.


End file.
